Young love is a flame
by kiran9437
Summary: Bella has feelings for her soon to be stepdad so moves to Forks. She tries to forget her mom's boyfriend by dating Mike, while Edward starts falling from afar, his jealousy becomes too much, he can read her mind. Both Edward and Bella POV. Mature content


Isabella Swan shuddered under the blatant scrutiny of her brand new peers, damp strands of light brown hair whipped her face, luckily the rain was on hiatus and the slick stone coloured pavements were glittering with shallow puddles. Her first day, no, her first week, was already on to an atrocious start, her father was unmoved by her permanent shift to his house, he barely acknowledged her presence and when he did he grouched. Her mother, sweet by nature had virtually forgotten she had ever given birth to a daughter and was now sunning herself in Spain with her considerably younger and considerably attractive boyfriend, soon to be fiancé judging by the ring Bella had discovered concealed in his coat pocket. The lure of Aiden, her mother's toy-boy was partly the reason why she felt it necessary to change her residence. Out here, hidden from the sun she could forget about the warm, tan, golden planes of his skin, the sinewy muscle that was hardly ever on display. His hair perpetually streaked with honey under the sun, his white teeth seemed even whiter, in Forks she imagined his face in shadow, not nearly so appealing.

It wasn't that she blamed her mother or was even jealous of her, although she was slightly envious of her naturally pretty features that had unfortunately skipped a generation. Bella adored her Mom, Renee and generally the feeling was mutual, until Aiden had muscled in. Her mother, impulsive as per usual had fallen hook, line and sinker for his edible good looks and charming words. Not that she could hold it against her, Bella longed even now to hear his dulcet tones as he wished her good night, his gaze would always linger a little too long on her and each time it sent an illicit thrill to her veins. A thrill she was beginning to crave. So it was best to escape, to be spared the stomach-turning displays of affection they indulged in, the sparkle of the engagement ring that would find its way onto her mother's ring finger frighteningly soon, Bella would hear the news via phone call. She already dreaded the moment, a tiny selfish part hoping her Mom would decline, suddenly realise she had been in love with Bella's Dad all along. Then there would be the ceaseless wedding planning. There was nothing Bella hated more than weddings. The confetti, the fake plastered-on smiles, the ridiculously puffy pastel bridesmaid dresses and disgusting bouffant. It was all such a spectacle, if the couple in question were so dedicated and content with their relationship why did they feel the smug need to rub it in everybody else's face. It was cruel.

"Watch it," a stunning blonde snapped at her, she was tall and undeniably graceful, she made her plain clothes breathe with a life of their own. Snootily, she regarded her like she would a rodent, her eyes a burnished gold burned into Bella, entirely unwelcoming. "Hello? Is anyone there?" she demanded rudely before making a scoffing sound, she rolled her meticulously made-up eyes. Her cheekbones looked like they were carved out of ice. Huffily, she tossed her long silky tresses, a perfect pout on her face.

"Rose," a taller guy emerged from the crowd that were edging towards the school as the bell that signalled the start of school was getting closer to ringing. No one wanted to be late on the first day. His eyes were almost black, but soft, he was packed with muscle and potentially lethal strength. Yet he gleamed with health and humour. His thick arms snaked around the fair haired girl's waist as he whispered intimately in her ear. Forgetting Bella, they exited off to another route, presumably somewhere private.

"I don't love you. I don't love you. I don't love you. I don't love you. I . . . ," a tiny, petite brunette with pink spots of colour on her cheeks repeated over and over again like a mantra. Just from a look you could tell she had dresses strategically in a pretty demure white dress and cable-knit grey striped tights. Her eyes, an uncertain blue, locked with Bella's and she broke off, cheeks flushing, "What?" she said confrontationally.

Bella submissively looked at the floor, it seemed like everyone hated her on sight. That was the major issue in small towns; no one liked newbies to disrupt the dynamics, they all resented change. Well, she wasn't a fan of it herself; maybe she should break the habit of a lifetime and truant. It's not like her father, Charlie, would even give a damn, as long as he had a cold beer in his hand he was happy. Or a warm beer, he got less and less fussy these days.

"Well, hello gorgeous," A cute boy with brilliant cyan eyes and Zac Efron blonde floppy hair stared lasciviously at her. He was stood on the rain darkened bench of a picnic table and surveying her with a sincere smile. She checked to see if he was really talking to her, but the crowds had quickly dispersed, which meant she was most likely late and that there was no one else he was likely to be addressing. "I'm Mike," he jumped down landing deftly in front of her, her eyes level with his collarbone. A nice collarbone. "And I think I have just fallen in love," he confided in a mock whisper.

"With who?" Bella hitched her satchel, deliberately playing dense, if this was what guys considered chat-up lines then they were sorely mistaken, he would have to work a little harder than that.

"Why, you, of course," he inclined his head, "Anyone else would just be unworthy," he sucked in a breath as if the mere thought would be an insult to her, "You are incomparable." He appraised her almost clinically, while Bella conceded that she was by no means ugly she admitted that she wasn't worth a second glance and consequently had never received one to date. She was starting to suspect that Mike was weird. "The only trouble is . . . now, I have to tell my girlfriend," he shook his head so emphatically that his longish locks bounced reminding her of golden retrievers bounding ecstatically in parks once they were freed from their constraining leashes. She almost smiled.

Taking her by surprise, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the pads of his fingers lightly caressing her smooth cheek. "I'll see you around, stranger," he walked backwards to a nondescript car with a peeling battleship gray paintjob, saluted and got into the driver's seat before shooting off.

She stared perplexed, behind her the sound of giggles erupted and there was that Rose with her boyfriend looking conspicuously dishevelled, her boyfriend had a leaf stuck in his Oreo curls. Did no one actually attend school around here? She thought, confused.

"Hey, you, you're late!" A preppy, insect thin girl with an elaborate prefect badge pinned to her charcoal sweater looked aghast at the audacity of a new pupil behaving so shoddily. "Not the best way to start a year is it?" she raised an overly plucked eyebrow rhetorically.

"I'm so sorry," her mouth was dry, she was such a people-pleaser it often sickened her, "I, er got lost and –"

The girl held up her hand, effectively cutting her off, "I'm not interested in your excuses, I am here to escort you to the principal's office. That is, if you haven't got anything better to do, you know, we wouldn't want to hold you up," she added cattily, her breathy tone already irritating her beyond measure. She turned, her rigidly pleated skirt flouncing just as haughtily as its wearer.

Charming.

She could already tell she was going to love it here.


End file.
